New evidence surfaces in 2008 murder mystery

Police take case to 'America's Most Wanted'

Police hope video of a little boy leaving a school bus and clues found on the Internet can unlock a four-year-old murder mystery.

"We believe and know that there's got to be somebody out there with the critical information that we need to solve this case," said Lt. Ken Kanger of the Omaha Police Department.

Omaha police said the boy's texting and Internet chats have them on a national manhunt.

Thomas Hunter, 11, took part in what police call "inappropriate" chats, and they believe his usernames -- motzim and Kupcakek -- could trigger someone's memory.

Now, Omaha police is taking the case to a national audience, hoping to find the person responsible for the March 2008 deaths of Hunter and the family's housekeeper, Shirlee Sherman.

One of Sherman’s little brothers, Bradley Waite, remembers his sister as opinionated and always supportive.

“She was a very generous woman, she’d do anything for anybody,” Waite said.

Four years later and with no suspects in custody, Waite said he got a call from police to appear on "America’s Most Wanted." He’s hoping that the renewed effort will help police catch whoever killed this mother of two, grandmother to five and big sister to three.

“It’s something you think about all the time, it is, it’s tough,” Waite said. “It just doesn’t go away.”

Police believe the boy's usernames are key. But there are other leads in the case, including what witnesses in the neighborhood saw before and after the killings.

The video shows Hunter getting off a bus and heading to his home near 54th and Davenport streets around 3:10 p.m. Sherman was at the home cleaning.

"We believe he started to play his Xbox and got some snacks after school," Kanger said.

Kanger said that shortly after that witnesses reported seeing a suspicious man in a silver Honda CRV with out-of-state license places looking toward the Hunter home.

"Olive-complected skin. Anywhere from the mid-20s to his middle 30s in a dark-colored ill-fitting suit," Kanger said.

Witnesses said the man parked his car a few blocks away and then saw him walking toward and away from the Hunter home.

"(He) isn't actually seen going into the home and isn't seen exiting the home," Kanger said.

By 5:52 p.m., Dr. Bill Hunter returned home to find his son and the housekeeper dead.

"Both died of multiple stab wounds," Kanger said.

In 2009, Dr. Hunter told KETV NewsWatch 7 that his son loved to play video games, and now investigators believe video game chat rooms could provide major clues in the case.

Kanger said that sometimes the boy would have inappropriate conversations.

"When inappropriate conversation or chats would come up, they would switch to less safeguarded websites," Kanger said.

The case will be featured on "America's Most Wanted" on Aug. 3 on the Lifetime cable network. The program will air at 8 p.m.

"We won't give up," Kanger said.

Kanger said the boy would often start chatting on sites like Xbox Live, where safeguards are in place to block inappropriate material.

But there is evidence that individuals chatting with Thomas Hunter would move the conversation to other sites, which weren't as restrictive.

Anyone with information on the case should contact Crime Stoppers at 402-444-7867. There is a $54,000 reward for anyone who can provide information leading to an arrest.

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